Introduction

This list is based on the timetable dated from 9 December 2018 to 14 December 2019, unless otherwise stated. Standard abbreviations are explained in General Information. Map references relate to the 2014 issue of the Schweers+Wall Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland.

Obscure services

Saline – Westen

(9B3) DE19/151

This is a branch off the line from Westanleger to Wangerooge. Passenger trains run to/from Westen when required by pre-booked parties staying at the Youth Hostel or other accommodation there.
During the summer season, excursions run between Wangerooge and Westen: see DB's Wangerooge website and search ("Suche") for "Westen" during the season.

Emden Hbf - Emden Außenhafen

[395] (18B4) DE19/152

This branch line is used by trains connecting with the ferry to and from Borkum. These are a few IC trains, mostly to and from Köln, and some local trains between Münster and Emden. Dates and times of operation vary considerably. 'Emden Außenhafen' is indicated as the origin or destination of relevant trains in Kursbuch table 395, but full times are shown in the Westfalen Bahn timetable.

Meckelfeld - Buchholz (Nordheide) via Jesteburg

[120, 123] (21D2-21C2) DE19/152A

This is an alternative route between Hamburg-Harburg and Buchholz (Nordheide). It is used by RB38 trains from Hamburg-Harburg to Soltau (Han) hourly 07:51 to 23:51 on Saturdays and Sundays only. This is so that the train can be overtaken by an IC or ICE train leaving Hamburg-Harburg for Bremen at 57 minutes past the hour.

Note that KBS 123 shows all trains to and from Soltau (Han) as starting and terminating at Buchholz (Nordheide), but the weekend extension to and from Hamburg-Harburg is shown in KBS 120 and the erixx timetable.

Bremen-Sebaldsbrück – Bremen Hbf (via Abzw. Vahr)

[380] (9C2-9B2) DE19/153

Trains from the Hannover line to platforms 1, 2 or 3 at Bremen Hbf may use this spur, which crosses from the north side of the line to the south side by passing under both the main Hannover line and the Osnabrück line. They may, alternatively, use crossovers at the approach to Bremen Hbf. The route via Abzw. Vahr has been used by RE trains from Hannover to Bremen and also by IC trains from Hannover to Oldenburg. Trains in the opposite direction normally use the flat junction at Hastedt but, if the departure signal at Bremen Hbf platforms 1, 2 or 3 shows speed restriction 4 (= 40 km/h), that may indicate use of this route. There is no passenger use of the connections between Bremen-Hemelingen and Bremen Hbf via Abzw. Vahr known to the compilers.

Bremen avoiding line: Sagehorn – Dreye (Abzw. Bremen-Gabelung)

[120, 385] (9D1-9C3) DE19/154

Most trains between Hamburg and Osnabrück call at Bremen Hbf, but this route enables those that do not to avoid a lengthy detour.

D

FSSuX

IC1099

Hamburg-Altona – 06:11 Hamburg Hbf – Köln Hbf

FO

IC2301/2401

Hamburg-Altona – 06:12 Hamburg Hbf – Köln Hbf

D

TWSuX

FLX

Hamburg-Altona – 09:01 Hamburg-Harburg – Köln Hbf

D

FO

IC2417

Fehmarn-Burg - 11:17 Hamburg-Harburg – Köln Hbf

D

SuO

FLX

Hamburg-Altona – 13:01 Hamburg-Harburg – Köln Hbf

D

SO

IC2405

Stralsund Hbf – 15:12 Hamburg-Harburg – Köln Hbf

SuO

IC1909/2409

Stralsund Hbf – 16:08/16:11 Hamburg-Harburg – Köln Hbf

D

SSuX

IC2195

Hamburg-Altona - 16:09/16:10 Hamburg Hbf – Köln Hbf

D1

SuO

IC2197

Hamburg-Altona – 18:09/18:10 Hamburg-Harburg – Köln Hbf

D

TSX

FLX

Hamburg-Altona - 18:44 Hamburg-Harburg - Köln Hbf

D

FSSuX

ICE1098

Köln Hbf – 07:03 Essen Hbf – Hamburg-Altona

D

MSO

FLX

Köln Hbf – 09:14 Osnabrück Hbf – Hamburg-Altona

D

SX

IC2302

Köln Messe/Deutz - 09:29 Hamm (Westf) - Fehmarn-Burg

D

SX

IC2410

Köln Messe/Deutz – 09:05 Gelsenkirchen Hbf - Fehmarn-Burg

D

MWSX

FLX

Köln Hbf – 13:14 Osnabrück Hbf – Hamburg-Altona

SuO

IC2414

Köln Hbf - 17:17 Diepholz - Hamburg-Altona

FO

IC2404

Köln Hbf – 17:25 Diepholz - Stralsund Hbf

D

MThO

FLX

Köln Hbf – 17:12 Osnabrück Hbf – Hamburg-Altona

D

SX

IC2196

Köln Hbf – 17:02 Essen Hbf – Hamburg-Altona

D

FO

FLX

Köln Hbf – 18:44 Münster (Westf) Hbf – Hamburg-Altona

D

SuO

FLX

Köln Hbf – 21:14 Osnabrück Hbf – Hamburg-Altona

D1: Train runs via Bremen Hbf 30 June to 27 October 2019

Days and dates of operation of Flixtrain services vary; to check timings see their website

Kirchweyhe – Kirchweyhe BTE

(20B4) DE19/155

This south to west curve provides the only usable connection between DB and the Bremen-Thedinghauser Eisenbahn. BTE usually runs excursions, mostly during the summer, from Leeste to destinations on the DB network. However in 2019 they are not running any excursions owing to a lack of suitable available rolling stock. See their website.

Lüneburg Westseite (West station)

[110] (22C3) DE19/156

This is a separate station, west of the main line, which is used by most Hamburg local trains starting or terminating at Lüneburg. A few late evening and early morning trains run to and from the main station. The Westseite is also used by all trains to and from Dannenberg Ost.

Uelzen W750 - Uelzen W23 (Veerßer Kurve)

[305] (32C1) DE19/157

The Stendal - Salzwedel - Uelzen - Bremen line crosses under the Hannover - Hamburg main line just south of Uelzen and curves north to serve the west side of Uelzen station. A new direct curve (the Veerßer Kurve) from the Stendal line to the east side of Uelzen station, giving a non-conflicting connection towards Hamburg, was opened in November 2013.

Most trains between Stendal and Uelzen use the original line to and from the west side of Uelzen station. However, IRE services from Berlin to Hamburg normally use the Veerßer Kurve in this direction only to call at platform 102 on the east side of the station.

This is a curve from the high level station at Osnabrück to the Hannover line. Click on the thumbnail for a full size diagram.

SuX

IC2241

Münster (Westf) Hbf – 06:04 Osnabrück Hbf – Berlin Ostbahnhof

SuO

IC2343

Münster (Westf) Hbf - 08:04 Osnabrück Hbf – Berlin Ostbahnhof

SSuX

IC1926

Köln Hbf - 16:57 Osnabrück Hbf – Berlin Ostbahnhof

SuO

IC2326

Köln Hbf - 16:57 Osnabrück Hbf – Rostock Hbf

SSuX

IC1929

Berlin Ostbahnhof/Berlin Hbf - 09:56 Hannover Hbf - Köln Hbf

IC2242

Berlin Ostbahnhof – 21:35 Bünde (Westf) – Münster (Westf) Hbf

SuO

IC2240

Berlin Ostbahnhof – 23:35 Bünde (Westf) – Münster (Westf) Hbf

The following trains are diverted via this route from 17 March until 11 October 2019, unless shown otherwise. Most are to provide additional capacity at weekends and are particularly liable to run on different days around public holidays.

This west to north curve is used by trains between Hannover and Burgdorf which run non-stop between Hannover Karl-Wiechert-Allee and Aligse. There is an hourly S-Bahn service between Hannover and Celle by this route.

This route forms the eastern part of the ring line round the south side of Hannover. It is used by the following trains to avoid reversal at Hannover Hbf.

TWX

FLX

Berlin-Lichtenberg - 08:38 Lehrte - Stuttgart Hbf

FLX

Berlin-Lichtenberg - 16:36 Lehrte - Stuttgart Hbf

D

FSSuX

IC1598

06:00 Frankfurt am Main Hbf - Berlin Ostbahnhof

FLX

Stuttgart Hbf - 11:00 Hannover Messe/Laatzen - Berlin-Lichtenberg

D

FO

IC1970

Stuttgart Hbf - 15:50 Göttingen - Stralsund Hbf

TWX

FLX1816

Stuttgart Hbf - 18:58 Hannover Messe/Laatzen - Berlin-Lichtenberg

Days and dates of operation of Flixtrain services may vary; to confirm timings and to make bookings, see the Flixtrain website.

Lehrte – Sehnde

[360.3] (122D4) DE19/161

East of Lehrte, the lines from Braunschweig and Hildesheim join with the line from Gifhorn in a complex flying junction. Trains from Lehrte towards Braunschweig or Hildesheim dive under the Gifhorn line and follow the original alignment of the Braunschweig line. Trains towards Lehrte diverge to the north and fly over the Gifhorn line about ½ km further north.

As an exception to this, any train from Hildesheim that terminates at Lehrte platform 3 will use the south side of the flying junction in the inbound direction.

Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe (Abzw Siekweg) – Göttingen east side platforms

(55A2-55B2) DE19/162

This 2km link (line 1803) leaves the Kassel Schnellfahrstrecke south of Göttingen and then crosses the Eichenberg line before joining the eastern platforms at Göttingen. It is normally used by northbound trains stopping at platform 4 at Göttingen. Click on the thumbnail for a full size diagram

The following train is booked to use platform 4 at Göttingen, but may not always do so.

SSuX

ICE272

Zürich HB - 22:45 Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe - Hamburg-Altona

From 11 June 2019 until the end of the timetable period in December, all ICE and Nightjet services are diverted over the classic line between Göttingen and Hannover. Northbound trains are almost all booked to use platform 4 at Göttingen and those that do should use this connection.

Obscure services: Lines used on an occasional basis for engineering work diversions

These curves allow trains to run between the Münster and Rheine lines, passing through both the high-level and low-level platforms at Osnabrück. The route may be used by IC trains if the direct line between Münster (Westf) and Rheine is blocked. This is indicated by an extended journey time and local trains being replaced by buses. Such diversions took place between 5 and 13 August 2017.

This is a ring line around the south side of Hannover. It is occasionally used by diverted IC trains between the Lehrte and Osnabrück lines, this being indicated by omission of the usual stop at Hannover Hbf.

Hannover Hbf (Hannover Kurve) - Ahlem - Empelde

[360.5] (122B2-122D3) DE19/183

This route forms part of the ring line round the south side of Hannover, with the curve to the Hameln line. The hourly S5 trains between Hannover Hbf and Paderborn and a few overnight trains were diverted this way between 1 and 14 October 2018.

Northeim (Han) - Edesheim (Leine)

(55B1) DE19/184

Connections between the old main line and the Schnellfahrstrecke at Edesheim (Leine), north of Northeim (Han), are sometimes used by IC/ICE trains during engineering work. Use of the old main line instead of the Schnellfahrstrecke results in an extended journey time between Göttingen and Hannover, but it is not normally possible to tell from public information which connection is being used. Many trains were diverted via the old main line between Göttingen and Edesheim (Leine) between 12 and 28 August 2017.

Norten-Hardenburg - Northheim (Han)

(55B1-55B2) DE19/185

Connections between the old main line and the Schnellfahrstrecke at Norten-Hardenberg, south of Northeim (Han), are sometimes used by IC/ICE trains during engineering work. Use of the old main line instead of the Schnellfahrstrecke results in an extended journey time between Göttingen and Hannover, but it is not normally possible to tell from public information which connection is being used.